Like a Bad Country Song
by Kaboot
Summary: [Raimundo's POV] “Clay, bro, I didn’t take your boots!” “Well they’re gone, and I sure as heck don’t know what happened to ‘em! An’ What kinda cowboy am I without my boots?” [Extremely mild, hardly part of the story, slash]


Summary: (Raimundo's POV) "Clay, bro, I didn't take your boots!" "Well they're _gone,_ and I sure as heck don't know what happened to 'em! An' What kinda cowboy am I without my boots?" (Extremely mild, hardly part of the story, slash)

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

Warnings: Extremely mild, light, 'you might have to squint to see it', hardly part of the story slash.

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"Raimundo..." 

I barely had a chance to register the cowboy's growl before I felt myself being tugged into the air. Clay had me by the back of my robes, (this had become something of a habit with him) and was holding me up to his face. Now, I won't say I wasn't glad to be pulled away from my morning chores, (that particular day I was washing the pillars in the Great Hall while Kimiko scrubbed the floor) but it was pretty clear that Clay was ticked. At me. Which is generally bad.

"I swear Rai, if this is your idea of a prank..."

"Huh?"

"...It sure as heck ain't funny!"

"Clay, what are you **_talking_** about?" I asked - but it came out as more of a squeak.

"Where are my boots?" Clay demanded. I just started at him - he has nice eyes, ya know - until he lowered me back to the ground. I glanced at his feet, and sure enough, no boots. Just socks.

"I don't know. Why would I?"

"'Cause you 'took em."

"Why would I take your **_shoes_**?" I pointed out, trying to talk some sense into the cowboy.

"Well how am _I _supposed to know how yer twisted little mind works?"

I glanced down at my own shoes for a moment. _Twisted_ little mind? Um, ouch.

"Clay, bro, I didn't take your boots!"

"Well they're _gone,_ and I sure as heck don't know what happened to 'em! An' What kinda cowboy am I without my boots?"

From across the hall came a snicker. Clay and I turned our heads to face Kimiko so fast it's amazing we didn't get some kind of whiplash.

"Sorry.' Kimiko said, he eyes darting back down to the floor as she continued scrubbing. "It's just... That soundsl ike a line from a _**really** _bad country song." She explained with a sigh smile.

"Look, Rai..." Clay turned back to me. "Would ya just tell me where ya put my boots?"

"Clay! Clay... I swear, I did_ not_ take your boots!"

"Well, I reckon they didn't get up and _walk away_!"

"I dunno Clay, they_ are _shoes."

"Clay, are you sure you didn't just misplace them?" Kimiko interrupted.

"Nah, I don't see how that could happen. I went to sleep with 'em on-"

"Um, okay, weird." Kimiko muttered.

"-An' when I woke up, no-"

"Boots!"

All three of us looked down the hall in another near-whiplash experience. There, standing in the hallway - cheeks and hands smeared with dirt and robes stained with grass - was Omi. And in his hands, a pair of cowboy boots.

_Clay's_ cowboy boots.

"Omi?" Clay beamed. "Where in tarnation-?"

"I was weeding in the garden, and I found your boots!" Omi explained with pride, handing the shoes to Clay.

"Gee, thanks little pardner..." Clay leaned down, holding his boots in one hand, and gave Omi a quick, one-armed hug.

And I was **not** jealous. Not a little. No way. Not even when the little gnome actually **_blushed_**. No stinkin' way.

"Rai..." Clay stood up and glanced at me. "Why'd you puts my boots out in the garden?" He asked, putting the boots on the floor.

"I didn't! I'm telling ya Clay, I didn't touch your shoes!"

"Look, Rai, if yer doin' this fer attention..."

"Wha-?! NO! I did NOT take your boots!"

"Raimundo, I'd like to believe ya, really, but you _are_ the known prankster of the group, an'-"

"Oh! Clay!"

We all looked down to the ground, only not so suddenly this time. Dojo was looking back up at us, seeming a bit confused. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, Dojo. What is it?" Kimiko asked, smiling pleasantly.

"Well, I was walking around the garden last night, and I saw these two abandoned baby squirrels." Omi paled noticeably when the little dragon said this. "I didn't want to bring them inside and freak out Omi, but I couldn't **_leave_** them there." Dojo sighed, looking down. "_Sooo..._ I took your boots outside, Clay, to use for beds for..." Dojo suddenly looked up wide-eyed at Omi, who was staring down at the boots in horror. "The... Squirrels." Dojo finished.

Omi screamed louder than I would have thought possible, and dashed out of the hall so fast that I would have said he was using the Shard of Lighting if I hadn't known otherwise. The remaining four of us stared at each other for a moment, then Kimiko took off after Omi, Dojo trailing behind her and apologizing profusely.

I was about to follow them, but before I did, I looked back at Clay. He was crouched down by his boots, reaching his hands inside.

"Hey there, li'l fella. You caused quite a bit a' trouble 'round here, you an' yer friend." He smiled gently, stroking the small bundle of fur with the index finger of his free hand.

He really is a great guy, ya know.

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Hope you enjoyed. Please review! 


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